Among Friends
by Taerir
Summary: When a new evil threatens, a search begins for the rest of the Gate Senshi. [Chapter 11 now up]
1. Mission

Chapter 1 is below, following the obligatory disclaimer info. ^_^

This work, _Among Friends_, is Sailormoon fanfiction written between 1999 and 2002 by Taerir (me). Any characters present in the Sailormoon anime or manga series are the property of Naoko Takeuchi and their other respective owners. I make no claim to those characters, or to the Sailor Senshi concept.

Asami Ikeno, Taerir/Taerir Guardian, Kensaku Iwamoto, Arianrhod Knight, and Nami are all my own characters, and I do claim those. The names and appearances of Elina Aono, Sailor Ilia, Nuru Kazeno, and Sailor Isis (as appear in this fanfic) are all created by me. Their personalities were created partially by me, but a great deal of their character, as well as some plot material, was developed in cooperation with Pisces of _Pisces' Sailormoon Satire_ and Andromeda of _Andromeda's Galaxy_. Individual contributions by them will be marked in the corresponding chapters.

The Gates concept and the associated worlds (specifically to this story, the worlds Taerir and Ilia, as well as Isis as it appears in this fanfic) are also my own. Please do not write about the characters or concept I have created, or duplicate any part of this story or plotline, without my written permission.

This fanfic was originally posted on my Sailormoon fanfiction site, _Center Gate_. If you'd like to visit, the URL is centergate.muted-words.net. To find my other sides, they are all linked to from my collective at www.muted-words.net.

* * *

**_Among Friends, Part 1  
Mission_**  
By Taerir  


* * *

All Sailor Moon references are the property of their respective owners. Any concepts, characters, world names, plotlines, and so on not found in the Sailormoon television series or manga are the sole property of the author, Taerir, copyright 1999. No duplication is permitted without written permission from the author. 

* * *

Born of the light, she dwelled in darkness.

Silently, her eyes pale embers in the shadowed home where she eked out her dreary existence, she contemplated that thought. She had been happy once; she had lived to find joy purely in living. Once, her life had been good.

That had been before she died the FIRST time. Before her father began to beat her, before he hurt her so badly that her soul left her body. But something had brought her back. And now, she wanted vengeance. She had died several times since the first, but she always came back. Rest was not hers to take. Revenge, however, was.

Narrowing her eyes, she vowed that this time, the world that had caused her so much pain would fall. Triumphant she would emerge, having vanquished her only enemy: life itself and those who had no cause to feel such grief as she herself had experienced. Stepping forward, she disappeared from her dark surroundings and reappeared on earth.

Black hair shining in the world which used to bring her so much joy, she pulled out her signature mirrored sunglasses and went to find her first victim.

* * *

A girl with chin-length, light red hair knelt by a window, looking down at the street below. Closing her eyes, she reached out with her other senses.

Impatient, she opened her eyes again and walked to the other side of her apartment. She had felt restless since her last battle-- the one that killed her. Since then, she had spent six months training in the otherworld without losing more than one day on earth. Now, her entire world had changed. She felt as if she hardly knew herself. No longer was the title of "Sailor Senshi" even hers.

One thing was for certain though; there was a new dark force out there, and it was strong. Already, it was gathering helpers for its cause.

It would meet the senshi when it was strong enough, and it would destroy them.

Asami sighed and made her way back to the window. She had not yet been able to get a hold of Usagi and the others, and to tell the truth, the existing senshi in the present would not be enough to defeat the new evil.

Asami had to start searching for her fellow Gate senshi. But she had no idea where to look. Sighing, she realized how blank her memory was of the Silver Millennium. She couldn't remember what the other Gate senshi looked like or even their names, transformed or not. In fact, the only thing she DID know was that she would have to find them, and fast.

Too bad finding them would be the easy part. Grabbing some money, Asami left her apartment and toward the park.


	2. Aono Elina

**_Among Friends, Part 2  
Aono Elina_**  
By Taerir  


* * *

All Sailor Moon references are the property of their respective owners. Any concepts, characters, world names, plotlines, and so on not found in the Sailormoon television series or manga are the sole property of the author, Taerir, copyright 1999. No duplication is permitted without written permission from the author. 

* * *

Elina grinned gratefully at Usagi as the two walked down the street together. It was her first day in town, and Usagi had immediately taken the girl under her wing. At the moment, the two were headed to the ice cream parlor to meet more of Usagi's friends. Elina sighed with relief; she had been afraid she would make no friends in her new town.

Suddenly, Usagi waved wildly at a red-haired girl across the street.

"Asami-san!" Usagi yelled, causing Elina a moment's confusion. The girl looked a few years older than Usagi; were the two such good friends? Elina had last made her home in America, and some of the Japanese customs still eluded her.

The girl in question smiled at the pair and crossed the street.

"Usagi-chan," the girl said as she approached the pair. "How has your vacation been? I don't think I've seen you since, well, since last month!" The two girls exchanged a strangely serious glance that left Elina wondering just what had happened the month before.

"Hi," Elina said, opting for an assertive front. "I'm Aono Elina. I don't think I got your name..."

Usagi grimaced, her face turning red. "Oh, I forgot! Elina, this is Asami." She beamed. "She goes to Azabu Tech, where Mamo-chan goes."

Elina smiled at the girl and stuck out a hand in greeting, remembering after the fact that she was no longer in America. Unfazed, Asami smiled and shook her hand. Frowning, Elina stared the other girl in the face. Why did Asami seem so familiar? Elina was certain she had never met the girl in her life. A similar expression crossed Asami's face, but the older girl cleared it away quickly.

"Nice to meet you," Asami grinned. "Just watch out for Usagi. She tends to run into things." She shot Elina a mock-sympathetic look.

Usagi glared for a moment. "Hey!" As she realized it was true, though, she flushed again. "Asami-san, we're going to go meet the others in the ice cream shop. Do you want to come?"

Asami laughed. "Why not?" The three continued to walk down the sidewalk.

* * *

As the trio walked, Asami studied Elina thoughtfully. At the moment, the younger girl was nervously fiddling with one of her maroon braids. Elina looked too familiar to just be another face on the street; could she be one of the other Gate senshi?

Asami sighed and decided to study the girl more before making any decisions. It wasn't as if she could just walk up to Elina and start referring to Gates, sailor senshi, and past lives. The thought almost made Asami laugh; the younger girl would probably run away screaming.

Asami smiled at the others as the group entered the ice cream shop, where Rei, Minako, Ami, and Makoto were already seated. Chattering animatedly, the four girls made room for the others, eager to meet Usagi's new friend.

"So, Elina," Asami said. "I take it you're new to town?"

Elina smiled. "Yeah; my mother and I just moved here from America."

Going to order their ice cream, the girls continued to talk. After a while, Usagi and her four other friends looked around.

"We, um, kind of have to go," Usagi said. "Elina, call me!" The girls headed out the door.

Elina frowned. "Where were they off to so fast?"

Asami knew there was probably a senshi meeting. She frowned too. "I don't know. Usagi is pretty flighty sometimes."

"That much, I figured," Elina giggled.

* * *

Nami made her way down the sidewalk, rolling her eyes. Three men had tried to hit on her by the time she had gotten here, even. Was there something in the air today, or what? She glanced around the immediate area. Nearby sat a particularly crowded ice cream shop. Nami smiled slowly.

"Hey, what's up?" a tall, tanned man approached her. Another attempted suitor? What a wonderful opportunity.

Standing up, Nami walked up to him leisurely. Suddenly, she grabbed him by the throat and concentrated on destroying that which made him human. When she was done, he had expanded and now stood as her own monstrous creation. Laughing and giving him his orders, she disappeared.

The daemon rushed into the shop, grabbing a girl with maroon braids on either side of her head. Holding her still under the threat that he would hurt her if anyone did anything, he prepared to draw the energy from the nearby patrons of the shop.


	3. Sailor Ilia

**_Among Friends, Part 3  
Sailor Ilia_**  
By Taerir  


* * *

All Sailor Moon references are the property of their respective owners. Any concepts, characters, world names, plotlines, and so on not found in the Sailormoon television series or manga are the sole property of the author, Taerir, copyright 1999. No duplication is permitted without written permission from the author. 

* * *

Elina glanced around her, still being held hostage by the youma. Sudden tears filled her eyes as the daemon pulled on one of her braids. Her vision cleared, and she blinked with confusion. Where had Asami gone?

"I will have your energy for my mistress!" the daemon yelled. As he held Elina back, a circular gem appeared on his forehead, and the crowd stuck inside the ice cream shop began to lose consciousness.

Asami, nearby, had shooed all ice cream shop employees from the back room and shut the door behind her. She had never fought in Guardian form before, but she supposed there was always a first time. Closing her eyes in concentration, she felt, rather than saw, the maroon glow that surrounded her as she transformed. When the light cleared, she stood in maroon battle gear as Taerir Guardian.

Taerir smiled briefly as she opened the door and re-entered the main area. The expression left her face as she saw the daemon still holding Elina, and most of the shop's patrons still beginning to collapse to the ground. She would need help this time. Taerir locked eyes with the other girl for a moment and then turned her gaze away.

Taerir silently crept behind the daemon, her sword in her hand. Swiftly, she dealt him a blow to the knees and jumped out of the way as the daemon dropped Elina. Pulling the girl out of the way, Taerir locked eyes with her once again. Now she remembered. The girl would be Sailor Ilia. Taerir called a henshin wand to her hand and gave it to Elina.

_I'm going to need some help,_ she mindsent to the girl, hoping Elina would either remember or just take the communication at base value. _Raise the pen and say 'Ilia Gate Power, Make Up.'_ Then Taerir went to try to waylay the daemon, leaving Elina to take or leave what she had been told.

Elina gazed after the strange, red-haired warrior who had seemed familiar.

_Asami?_ she thought, frowning. But the serious, battle ready look in the girl's eyes seemed different, somehow. Elina gazed down at the pen the warrior had given her. _It's worth a try._

"Ilia Gate Power, Make Up!" she yelled. Spirals of light surrounded the girl, and when they cleared, Elina stood clad in a fuku with a red-brown skirt and collar, and peach bows. Staring in surprise for a moment, Sailor Ilia rose and narrowed her eyes at the daemon.

"Ilia Earth Crumble!" she yelled, summoning her strength. The daemon yowled in surprise at the tile floor fell from under his feet, sending him toppling over. On the way down, his head smashed into the serving counter, causing him to emit a plaintive sound again. The daemon landed just as the floor beneath him re-solidified.

_Lucky shot,_ Sailor Ilia thought, grinning, and crossed to stand beside Taerir.

Taerir grinned and winked at the new senshi, and then took the chance she had been given. Pulling to her all the psychic power she could muster, she sent the forces crashing toward the daemon. When the air cleared, the daemon lay unconscious. Crossing the shop to reach the enemy, Taerir knelt and placed a hand to his forehead.

Inside, she felt yet another human mind.

_Go figure,_ she thought ironically. She closed her eyes and removed the offending forces inside of him and returning human thoughts to his mind. After a while, she opened her eyes to see the man back to normal but unconscious. As Taerir stood, she faltered a little, and Sailor Ilia rushed to steady her.

Taerir waved the aid away. "It's alright; the healing just took a bit out of me." She noticed the girl staring at her in amazement, and continued. "Come on, we need to detransform."

Sailor Ilia followed Taerir out of the ice cream shop and into a secluded area. The two detransformed, and Elina found that her earlier suspicions had been correct. Asami now stood where Taerir had been moments before.

Asami smiled warmly. "That was my other form: Taerir Guardian." She looked around. "Do you want to talk out here, or away from prying eyes and ears?"

"Wherever you think is best, I guess," Elina said, grinning weakly.

Asami looked worried. "I think we'd better go somewhere else, but we can talk as we go." She frowned. "How much do you remember?"

Elina considered for a moment. "I don't remember much at all about my life in the past, but I do remember a little about the Gate senshi. There were other senshi, too... Those were Usagi and her friends, weren't they?"

Asami nodded. "Yeah, and that's who we're going to see, now. They were off to a senshi meeting when they left so suddenly earlier."

The other girls looked surprised when Asami showed up with Elina at Rei's temple, but dismissed it.

"There was an attack at the ice cream shop after you left," Asami informed them. "And we found out that Elina here is Sailor Ilia." She looked around at the others. "How much do you remember about the Gate senshi?"

Ami cleared her throat. "There were originally about eight of you, weren't there? You were from worlds that could be reached only through the Gates." Asami nodded.

"You were another team completely, though, really," Rei volunteered, looking thoughtful. "Sailor Taerir was the leader, weren't you, Asami?"

Asami flushed. "Well, back then I was. I honestly don't know what's going to happen now." She watched the others self-consciously. Asami had never really been part of most of the senshi meetings. "Well, that's all... I think Elina probably wants to go home and think this through." She smiled gently at Elina.

Elina only nodded, dazedly leaving the temple and heading vaguely in the direction of the apartment she shared with her mother. Asami watched the girl go and then turned towards home herself.

* * *

From the shadows, Nami glared at the spot where her beautiful creation had once stood. Those two warriors had defeated the monster too easily-- Nami needed more power. Too bad she had not seen the civilian identities of her creation's adversaries, or else she could get rid of them easily... Frowning at her thoughts, Nami walked away.

* * *

_Thanks to Andromeda for picking the attack name for Ilia and cool stuff like that ^_~ _


	4. Kazeno Nuru

**_Among Friends, Part 4  
Kazeno Nuru_**  
By Taerir  


* * *

All Sailor Moon references are the property of their respective owners. Any concepts, characters, world names, plotlines, and so on not found in the Sailormoon television series or manga are the sole property of the author, Taerir, copyright 1999. No duplication is permitted without written permission from the author. 

* * *

Asami sat on the steps of Elina's house the next afternoon, waiting for the girl to come out. There had been a simple message on Asami's answering machine the evening before, saying that Elina had wanted to talk. Knowing the younger girl was probably still somewhat confused, Asami had agreed willingly.

Elina finally emerged, and the pair walked down the sidewalk. Asami waited patiently for Elina to speak.

"So," the girl said finally, in a hesitant voice. "Could I ask you a question?"

Asami laughed. "Of course you can. That's why I'm here."

Smiling uncertainly in response, Elina began. "What... What's it like, being a Guardian? I know that was our goal in the last life, and that we didn't get a chance to make it that far... So how is being a real Gate Guardian different?"

Asami grinned. "Less focus and more freedom, I guess. You don't have all of those catch phrases for transformations and attacks." She laughed. "And you get a sword." Her tone turned serious quickly. "But it's a hard road to achieve it. It's not the same for everyone, but I died before I became a Guardian. I hope you don't have to go that far."

Pausing, Asami thought for a moment. Maybe it was better to get the easier topics out of the way first. "So, how old are you, Elina?"

Grateful to have someone to talk to, Elina grinned. "I'm sixteen. I just moved here from the US with my mom, but we've never really stayed in one place for long." She laughed a little. "Who knows? Maybe I'll end up in Greece next. That would be an appropriate place, don't you think?"

She sobered. "What about you? What do you do when you're not guarding Gates or fighting evil with Usagi and her friends?"

Asami flushed, embarrassed. "School, school, and more school." She grinned sheepishly. "I'll be going into my second year of college this fall." She sighed. "I do a few things on the side, work on my own to pay for my apartment... and then I study. It's not an amazing life or anything." Asami sighed again and looked down, examining the engagement ring on her finger.

* * *

Kazeno Nuru hurried down the streets of Tokyo, glancing at her watch and cursing softly. She was late to work yet again.

"Stupid museum..." she muttered under her breath. "What, do they think the ancient artifacts are going to get up and walk away if I'm not there?" Fiddling with a strand of beaded hair, she growled. Those beads were the reason she was late.

As Nuru turned a corner, she slammed head-on into a pair of girls and fell backwards onto the pavement. "I'm sorry; I didn't see you!" she apologized from the ground. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at them and realized that they looked familiar. That was impossible, though. She was certain she couldn't place where she might have met them.

The redhead smiled down at her and held out a hand to help Nuru up. "It's no big deal," she said mildly, smiling. Nuru frowned as the redhead gasped slightly, but the expression of surprise cleared from the older girl's eyes quickly. "You look a little rushed right now, but... I'm Asami, and this is Elina."

Nuru grabbed Asami's hand and pulled herself up. "I'm Nuru, and I'm late for work." She scowled slightly. "The curator gets mad every time I'm late." Vaguely, she wondered why she was telling some strange girl off the street all this.

Shaking off the feeling, she brushed herself off. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get going. It was nice to meet you," she called, already rushing on her way again. As she burst through to doors of the Natural History Museum, she found the curator already standing and glaring at her.

"You're an hour late, Nuru. That's a record, even for you," the curator commented. "The museum opens in fifteen minutes. And what the hell did you do with your hair?!? You work in the prehistoric wing!"

Nuru sighed. "If you're that worried about my hair, why don't you put me in the Ancient Egypt exhibit, Dr. Miyori? I'm sure the mummies will like me just fine." By the end of her statement, Nuru's tone overflowed with sarcasm.

Dr. Miyori frowned disapprovingly. In a large-scale exertion of will, she managed to calm herself down. "Alright, then, that's where you'll go. You've only got ten minutes until we open. Make sure everything is ready!"

As Nuru turned toward the exhibit wing, she mocked the doctor's words and cast a glowering glance behind her.

* * *

_The thanks on this section go to Pisces, for Nuru's personality and predicament._


	5. Sailor Isis

**_Among Friends, Part 5  
Sailor Isis_**  
By Taerir  


* * *

All Sailor Moon references are the property of their respective owners. Any concepts, characters, world names, plotlines, and so on not found in the Sailormoon television series or manga are the property of the author, Taerir, copyright 1999. No duplication is permitted without written permission from the author. 

* * *

"The museum..." Elina trailed off as she watched Nuru go. She turned an embarrassed smile toward Asami. "Maybe we should go there too. The ancient civilizations exhibits sound like a good place to talk." She laughed.

Asami bit her lip for a moment in thought. "You're probably right. Maybe it will be helpful for other reasons too." She paused. "That girl we just ran into... did you feel anything different about her?"

The other girl frowned for a minute. "Different? Well, it _did_ seem like I should know her from somewhere. But that's impossible, because I know I've never seen her before, unless..." Elina trailed off, and sudden recognition of what Asami was actually asking dawned. "Could she be one of _us_?"

"It's possible," Asami nodded. "It's too coincidental that we both got that feeling. If I read her expression correctly, she was getting a similar feeling too..." She smiled. "Maybe we'll see her again at the museum."

Elina agreed, grinning ruefully as they began to walk. "It would be nice if she was one of us. I feel a little strange, being new to this and everything. I'm not really sure what I'm doing yet, even though the memories are starting to come back."

Asami laughed. "Sometimes I think I _still_ don't know what I'm doing. But I'm sure you'll do fine. It _would_ be nice to have another of us, though. It would make me feel more comfortable, while we're getting targeted by this new enemy." She sighed.

"Do we really know anything about this enemy?" Elina asked, suddenly curious. "I know I don't, since yesterday was my first fight."

Asami sighed again. "That was the first time I'd ever seen anything from them, either. They're very good at brainwashing, from the way they took a random human and turned them against us. They also haven't been around very long. That's all I know."

There was silence as Elina mulled over what Asami had said. As they entered the museum, she grimaced. "I guess we'll find out more sooner or later, if she comes back. Judging from the stories, they don't usually go away after one try anyway, do they?"

"Not usually, as far as I've seen," Asami replied, shaking her head. The two girls paused in front of a museum map. "So where to, first?"

Elina grinned shyly. "Ancient Greece, if that's okay with you..."

"Of course," Asami affirmed, and the two set off.

* * *

A few hours later, Asami and Elina had managed to wear out their feet and sat in a small museum café to eat dinner before heading home.

Nuru walked into the museum café and settled herself down with a huff. Work at the museum seemed to last forever, and she hated wasting her time there. _Stupid school administration... What makes them think that dusting mummies will make me stop telling them when they're wrong?_

Grumbling, she ordered and waited for her food. She frowned as she spotted Asami and Elina, but dismissed it as a strange coincidence.

Nuru glanced up in annoyance at a commotion nearby. _It figures..._ The sight that greeted her wasn't the group of screaming small children she'd expected, though. Instead, something large, inhuman, and very definitely ugly seemed to have emerged from the kitchen to terrorize customers.

"What IS this?" Nuru yelled in frustration. "Why can't I even have a peaceful dinner?" Grabbing a table knife, she glared at the creature and hurled the knife at it. "This is _your_ fault!"

Asami and Elina had already jumped to their feet, and Asami decided that Nuru must be a senshi. Everyone else in the restaurant seemed to be blinded by terror, and Nuru was the only one who had acted. And with those beads... There was only one Gate Senshi that Nuru could be. Without another moment to consider, Asami had called a henshin wand to her hand, tossed it to Nuru, and mindsent the transformation phrase before ducking out of sight to transform into Taerir Guardian.

Nuru stared after Asami as if the older girl was insane, but shrugged.

"Isis Gate Power, Make UP!" she yelled, transforming in a flash of dark blue-tinted light. She glanced down at her fuku dubiously. _This HAS to be the weirdest day I've ever had..._

She glanced back up at Taerir, who had returned along with Sailor Ilia. "My turn first, huh?"

The hint of a wry smile played on Asami's face, despite the serious look in her eyes as she stayed on guard and circled the youma. "Well, if you want revenge for getting your dinner ruined..."

Nuru nodded, and turned toward the youma. "You picked a bad day to mess with me... Isis Wind Storm!" The enemy faltered, surrounded by strong winds, which succeeded in knocking it backward.

While the youma was still off-balance, Sailor Ilia stepped in. "Ilia Earth Crumble!" The youma lost its footing completely and toppled backward, dragging tables with it. Taerir closed her eyes and surrounded the enemy with high-level forces. When the dust cleared, the youma lay motionless.

The three rushed to surround the youma, and Taerir knelt beside it. Another human mind seemed to be inside, so she placed a hand on it's forehead and healed it, as she had with the last one. In the youma's place now lay a young waitress, and the senshi helped her to her feet, reassured her that everything would be alright, and then disappeared from the café.

After detransforming, Asami smiled at Nuru. "I think we've met before. I'm Ikeno Asami, Taerir Guardian, and this is Aono Elina-- Sailor Ilia."

Unknown to the girls, Nami glowered in the shadows, masking her presence. As if it hadn't been bad enough before, now there were three of them. Each one would make her plan harder. But then, perhaps she could weave a little dissention into this little group...

She focused on a girl with black, beaded hair. _You don't really think Asami should be the leader anymore, now do you?_ she thought. _How do you know it wasn't just favoritism in the first place? And you're jealous... You're the tactician; you should have been the leader._ She laughed and sent the feelings to Nuru, and then disappeared.

Nuru turned to glare at Asami. "Nice warning you gave, there. It's a good thing I took you at your word." She crossed her arms. "So you're the first of us to reach Guardian, huh?"

Asami nodded, her expression concerned at Nuru's sudden display of hostility. "Nuru, are you alright?"

Nuru stared icily at Asami. "I'm fine, but why am I not surprised? You were always first to do everything. That's what happens when people think you can do no wrong. Tell me, did you get help being leader since you worked so hard at being everyone's little darling?"

* * *

_Thanks to Pisces again, for help with the attack name and with all of Nuru, of course._


	6. Dilemmas

**_Among Friends, Part 6  
Dilemmas_**  
By Taerir  


* * *

All Sailor Moon references are the property of their respective owners. Any concepts, characters, world names, plotlines, and so on not found in the Sailormoon television series or manga are the property of the author, Taerir, copyright 1999. No duplication is permitted without written permission from the author. 

* * *

"WHAT?!?" Asami responded in shock. A cold feeling settled over the pit of her stomach as she watched Nuru glare at her.

Elina let out a small gasp. "Nuru..." she said softly, but the other girl didn't listen.

Nuru rolled her eyes at Asami. "Are you really all that surprised? You were never a great leader. I was always the cunning one... the smart one. I had every situation under control. But YOU were the teacher's pet."

Asami took a measuring glance over Nuru and sighed. The girl was probably right. Asami remembered her death silently, and realized what she'd tried to forget.

* * *

Sailor Taerir surveyed her surroundings, calling the rest of her team to her.

"Did you find anything?" Sailor Taerir asked, looking at her companions, for whom she had been appointed leader.

The others shook their heads, and Sailor Isis spoke aloud. "There's no one around. The place seems to be deserted already."

Sailor Taerir sighed. "Okay, we'll move on, then."

Just then, there was a rustling in the bushes, as countless enemy soldiers came out of hiding. They rushed the senshi, who prepared to attack immediately. The battle, though grueling, was going relatively easily so far.

Sailor Taerir turned to face her next opponent, a sword in her hand. As she prepared to deal her first blow, the unknown soldier lifted his face gear, revealing a familiar visage.

"Keelan?" Sailor Taerir whispered in Enyddan, momentarily confused. The soldier took her hesitation to his advantage, and Sailor Taerir never managed to get her rhythm back.

*An illusion...* Sailor Taerir thought, too late, as the enemy soldier's sword ran through her. He pulled his sword free, as if disgusted, and she fell to the ground.

Another senshi defeated Sailor Taerir's opponent a moment later. The battle was practically finished, and Sailor Ilia knelt by her fallen comrade.

Tears filled Sailor Taerir's eyes as she gazed gently at the younger senshi through the searing pain. "I'm sorry... I failed you all."

Sailor Ilia looked desperate. "No, no - It's not too late! We can get you help. You're our leader; we need you!"

Sailor Taerir smiled weakly. "It's too late for me. I should-I should have done something else. I shouldn't have hesitated. I don't deserve to be called your leader anymore. Go with my blessing, and know that my spirit is with you."

With that, Sailor Taerir died.

* * *

Asami had never been worthy in the first place.

Still held by an empty, disturbed feeling, she turned to Nuru. "Okay, so you're right. I will give up my position. It's all yours. The position requires honor, too, though; remember that. I'll see you around."

She turned and began to walk away. _I'll still help..._ she thought, trying to calm her nerves. _I just won't lead them anymore. But I will make sure they're safe._

Nuru smiled, amazed at the easy win. It had almost been _too_ easy.

Elina stared after Asami, torn. How could she have just walked away? Asami was a Guardian, and the only one who'd had much experience in this life. Silently, Elina wondered if Nuru had already gained her memories enough to lead. This certainly didn't seem like the Sailor Isis _she_ remembered...

Most of all, Elina simply needed time to think. She turned to Nuru apologetically. "It's getting late. I'd better get home, before someone misses me." With a friendly wave, she started toward home but ended up at the park instead, to ponder the day's events in the branches of her favorite tree.

* * *

At Rei's temple, the inner senshi debated their options, after the attack they had not been present to witness. Usagi had met with a very confused Elina long enough to find out that there had been a second attack. Elina, however, had wisely left out the argument that had occurred afterward.

"I don't like it," Rei announced. "It's like we're not supposed to be involved in this at all."

Ami nodded. "But we should help. The Gate Senshi aren't anywhere near a full team yet. They're strong, but if there's something that's targeting them..."

Makoto grimaced and shook her head. "We can't help if we don't even know when there's a battle going on."

"Don't they still have communicators?" Minako asked, confused.

"I don't think Asami-san has one, at least," Ami told them, with a shake of her head. "When she was brought back to be a Guardian form, she didn't seem to have one anymore. I don't know about Elina or any others that have been found, but they probably haven't had time to use them during the fights." She paused. "What do you think we should do, Usagi-chan?"

Usagi sat up straight suddenly, from her very comfortable position for dozing. "Nani?! I didn't eat it, I swear..." Realizing where she was, she blushed furiously.

"It would help if you would stay awake during meetings, Usagi!" Rei snapped. "We were discussing what to do about the new attacks that seem to be coming."

"We have to help Asami-san and the others. They're our friends," Usagi stated simply.

"But how?" Makoto pointed out again. "We don't seem to be able to sense the attacks, and the Gate Senshi haven't contacted us during them."

Usagi shrugged. "Ask Taerir to tell us mentally. We see her and Elina-chan around a lot, and Mamo-chan goes to school with Asami-san and Kensaku-san." She glanced at the others, a slightly beseeching look in her eyes. "Minna, we have to help. No matter what."

"I agree," Ami added.

"Alright," Makoto agreed. "We'll find a way."

Nodding in mutual agreement, the five girls agreed to help their newer friends, whatever it took.

* * *

_Many thanks to both Pisces and Andromeda for help with the plot._


	7. Finding the Truth

**_Among Friends, Part 7  
Finding the Truth_**  
By Taerir  


* * *

All Sailor Moon references are the property of their respective owners. Any concepts, characters, world names, plotlines, and so on not found in the Sailormoon television series or manga are the property of the author, Taerir, copyright 1999. No duplication is permitted without written permission from the author. 

* * *

Asami finally stepped back into her apartment building, after spending the evening by finding anything to do that would let her avoid going home. It looked as if there would only be one catastrophe after another with the coming of this new enemy. And now...

_What am I going to do with myself? I'm relatively useless as a Guardian, and I'm not much of a leader or contributor..._ She glanced around her, suddenly determined. Nuru would be a better leader, and Asami would defend the others in any way she could; that was what she would do. Leader or not, Asami would give her life if needed... again.

An hour later, Asami stopped herself just before her hand touched the phone receiver for what seemed like the hundredth time since she had gotten home.

_You don't need to call the others,_ she told herself firmly. _If they want to talk, they'll call. There's no point in bothering them._

She sighed and settled back down on the couch. Never in her life had she felt so unneeded, and it was a feeling she definitely did not enjoy.

* * *

Nuru sat on a sidewalk bench quietly, watching the nighttime passerby travel the sidewalk. She wasn't surprised to find out about being Sailor Isis somehow; that part seemed natural. What disturbed her was not being able to remember a past life as a senshi, when Taerir and Sailor Ilia had seemed to imply that there was a past life she _should_ be remembering.

The only thing she did have was a feeling that Taerir was an incompetent leader, but she didn't even have any memories or proof to back that up. None of it made sense.

One thing was certain. Nuru refused to go home tonight. Her mother would just ask questions, and Nuru never had the patience to handle that. She would just have to find somewhere else to sleep.

Someone cleared their throat uncertainly, and Nuru found that Sailor Ilia, in civilian form, stood waiting for Nuru to notice.

Nuru stood up. "Your name's Elina, right? Listen, I know I've only known you a few hours, but could I ask you a favor?"

Elina smiled. While she wasn't quite sure what exactly had changed Sailor Isis so much, she had decided that the only way she would ever find out would be to get to know the girl. "Sure."

"Could I stay with you tonight? I don't want to go home right now, and sleeping on a bench doesn't really appeal to me." As Elina laughed, Nuru continued. "So, what do you say?"

"Sure, why not?" Elina replied, still smiling. "We should probably get to know each other better anyway."

The two girls began walking back to Elina's home, chatting as they went.

* * *

Asami frowned as she heard a knock on the door. It was too late at night for most visitors. Wondering who could possibly have come by, she opened the door to find Mizuno Ami waiting on the other side.

The younger girl held up her portable computer with an apologetic smile. "I hope I'm not bothering you, Asami-san. I thought maybe there would be something in here that would help you find some of your other teammates."

"Come in," Asami told her. She sighed. "You might want to bring the suggestion to someone else, though. There was a little bit of an argument today."

"Over what?" Ami questioned, frowning as the two girls seated themselves.

Asami smiled humorlessly. "Our Sailor Isis challenged me as leader. She was right, so I stepped down."

"But haven't you known you were supposed to be a Gate Guardian longer than any of the others?" Ami protested. "You received the most training, and you were the most prepared."

"That doesn't make me more competent," Asami pointed out. "It just means I was more prepared in the past, and now, after everything that's happened, it doesn't mean that I'm the best choice anymore, or even that I was then. Isis' civilian name is Nuru... She pointed out that it could just have been favoritism."

Ami hesitated for a moment, and then opened her computer and punched in a few keys. "There might be something here on that. It's amazing how much information I find here, now that we're getting older and our memories are getting clearer." She paused, and then brightened. "Here it is. 'Queen Selenity of the Moon Kingdom conferred with her advisors to appoint a leader for the Gate Senshi. At length, all agreed that Rhanwyn al Llew was the best candidate, due to her extensive training in both combat and telepathy.'"

Asami said nothing.

"Asami-san..." Ami said, and bit her lip. "You were chosen fairly. Queen Selenity wouldn't have taken something like that lightly."

Asami leaned back in her chair, thinking for a moment. "Maybe it was true then, when we hadn't gotten a chance to show what we were really made of, but after that..." She grimaced, rising and going to the window. "I had my chance, and I lost that when I died. So we'll see if Nuru can do a better job. It's not about who people think the best leader should be; it's about who is really the best leader, who will keep the Gate team intact. I'll give other people a chance, because I may not be the best choice now."

"You didn't dishonor yourself by dying," Ami commented quietly. "We all died. I think it was fated to happen, in a way. I don't know why Sailor Isis objected to you, but I don't know her, either, so I don't know what kind of a leader she would be."

"Time will tell," Asami responded bleakly. "I'm not going to set Nuru up for failure before she even has a chance to start. I'll be there for them, no matter who leads us." She smiled. "But it's late, Ami-chan. I'll be fine, and if there's time soon, we can start looking for the other Gate senshi with your computer. Right now, I think we should all go to bed." Asami laughed a little. "And Kensaku is getting home tomorrow morning. I'd rather not crash his car into a telephone pole on the way to pick him up."

Ami smiled back. "I should get a little more studying done before bed, too. Cheer up, Asami-san. I'm sure it will all work out." Putting away her computer, Ami gave one last wave and left for home.

* * *

Asami awoke early the next morning.

_It's Sunday,_ she thought with a groan. _It's too early to be awake already._ But the sacrifice was worthwhile, since it meant Kensaku was returning home from his short study trip. At the moment she felt very cut-off from her two fellow Gate senshi, and Kensaku always helped to make her feel better.

After getting dressed, she quickly grabbed something to eat, and headed out the door. She pulled out Kensaku's car keys and smiled, slightly wistful. No more borrowed car for a while... Not that she'd ever used it very often anyway.

Finally, she arrived at the airport and waited for Kensaku's flight to arrive.

Kensaku left the terminal gate and scanned the crowds at the airport. He smiled as his eyes focused on Asami, who was looking for him as well. While her face was turned in the other direction, he sidled closer and put an arm around her shoulders. She grinned and turned to face him, and he kissed her.

He glanced over her appraisingly. "Still alive?"

She laughed. "Yes, still alive."

Kensaku noted a pained expression behind her eyes, despite the smiles and laughter. "Wyna, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing," she said nonchalantly.

He frowned. "I know you better than that; there's something wrong. Come on... I'll get my luggage, and you can tell me in the car on the way home."

Once everything was loaded, Asami sighed and told him of everything that had happened the day before. He smiled at her.

"I'm sure things will work out, sooner or later," he said. "But until they do, I'll still be here, you know."

She smiled back. "Thank you."

They parked, unpacked Kensaku's belongings, and left the apartments to enjoy the day.

* * *

Nami watched Asami and Kensaku enter a public recreation area and sit down by a public swimming pool.

_Apparently, they're not the types to go for a swim. Well, we can change that. It's really too bad that it's such a dangerous passtime..._

Nami entered the dressing room and found a lifeguard about to go on duty. Pulling the victim aside, Nami transformed the woman and pulled away to watch.

The youma entered the pool area and created a tidal wave which succeeded in dropping most of the swimmers onto the surrounding concrete. She glanced about for her next victim as Nami laughed to herself and watched from the shadows.

_Can a team with a rift among them succeed?_ Nami thought, almost giggling. _I guess now's the time to find out._

* * *

_Many thanks to both Andromeda and Pisces yet again._


	8. Hospital Fun

**_Among Friends, Part 8  
Hospital Fun_**  
By Taerir  


* * *

All Sailor Moon references are the property of their respective owners. Any concepts, characters, world names, plotlines, and so on not found in the Sailormoon television series or manga are the property of the author, Taerir, copyright 1999. No duplication is permitted without written permission from the author. 

* * *

Asami and Kensaku exchanged a glance, and went to find a place to transform once Asami had sent out a mental call for help. Elina's home, Asami knew, was down the street, so at least one ally should be there soon.

Certainly enough, when the pair emerged, Sailors Isis and Ilia had arrived already. Sailor Isis had thrown an attack, but the enemy had not faltered much.

Taerir stepped forward quickly as Sailor Ilia began her own attack. Immediately, Taerir followed with her own wave of mental energy, but before she could finish the attack, the youma sent a whirlwind of water in return. Unable to get out of the way in time, Taerir only had a split second to notice Sailor Isis narrow her eyes and seemingly refrain from helping. The force of the youma's attack threw Taerir backward and knocked the wind from her in a single, forceful motion.

When Taerir regained her senses and rolled to her feet, she found the youma ready to attack Sailor Isis. The girl, who had bent momentarily to help swimmers out of the way, froze as the attack approached.

_You have time; move!_ Taerir thought frantically, but Sailor Isis didn't budge. Isis was still adjusting to her powers again, and might not be fully acclimated yet... Worse, the youma's attack was stronger than the one that had caught Taerir.

Taerir rushed in front of Sailor Isis to catch the attack, determined not to let matters between the two of them affect her actions. Pushed back, Taerir felt something crack as she fell to the ground. She swore, unable to get back up.

Arianrhod Knight, rushing to help, managed to rally the other two senshi long enough to defeat the enemy. When he finished, he made his way over to the detransformed Asami, glaring at Sailor Isis as he went.

"You need to be more careful," he told the girl. "A real leader watches out for all of her allies."

Isis glared rebelliously back at Kensaku. "Yeah, and real warriors watch out for themselves too." She walked over to Asami as well, detransforming on the way. When she knelt beside the older girl, she gasped suddenly as true memories replaced the ones Nami had planted in her mind. While she and Elina followed Kensaku to the nearest hospital, Nuru tried to sort the events out in her mind.

Nami watched Sailor Isis as Kensaku carried Asami away. Her hold on the girl's mind was slipping away, and as Nami watched, the influence slipped away completely. Nami left cursing, ready to find a new plan.

At the hospital, Asami was diagnosed with a cracked rib and admitted into a room for the time being. Kensaku sighed and sat down beside her bed as Nuru and Elina looked on.

Finally, Nuru sat down on the other side of Asami's bed. "I remember everything now," she announced to the older girl. Nuru still did not completely know where she stood, but she did know that she needed to say something. "I'm sorry... It's my fault you got hurt, and I shouldn't have doubted your leadership." Raising an eyebrow, Nuru turned her gaze to Kensaku. "Doesn't she have healing powers? Why hasn't she healed _herself_?"

Kensaku shook his head. "She does, but for an injury this bad, she can't use them on herself; just other people. Especially not when you're in a lot of pain... It makes you lose your concentration."

Asami, who was still groggy and in pain, sighed. "He's right. I'll just have to wait this one out. I'll live; the pain's not THAT bad." She softened for a moment. "And Nuru... thank you for saying that."

Nuru nodded in reply.

Elina lurked in the doorway, silent until this point. She wasn't completely sure what exactly had happened during the fight, but Nuru seemed more normal again, somehow. Finally, Elina stepped forward nervously, feeling the need to help.

"Could I heal Asami?" the girl asked quietly. "I mean, I can't do as much as you could, Asami, but maybe I could heal it enough that you could do the rest of it yourself..."

Asami smiled a little. This would be a good time to let Elina practice. "Of course, if you'd like." She grinned. "I don't mind at all."

Elina nodded and crossed to stand beside Asami, placing one hand on the injured girl's cracked rib and another on Asami's temples. Drawing a little big of energy from her surroundings, Elina's apprehension vanished, and she concentrated only on the healing. After removing the pain and beginning to knit the cracked rib together, she drew back, feeling weak.

"That's the best I can do," she said finally. "It shouldn't hurt anymore, and I started the healing process, but you still shouldn't run around chasing enemies right now." She blushed, realizing she had taken on a slightly lecturing tone.

Asami smiled, still slightly weak herself. "You did a good job, Elina. I can finish the job, I think." She suited action to words and then looked around at the group again. "You know, I'm going to have to break out of here or something now. There's really no reason to stay."

"No problem!" a cheerful voice cut in. "Dr. Tsukino to the rescue!"

A vaguely familiar, young blonde doctor entered the room, pushing an empty wheelchair. Asami bit back another grin. "Usagi? Is that you?"

Elina blushed again. "I, um, called her to tell her what happened."

Usagi giggled. "I can still transform like this. Isn't it cool?" She forced her face into a grave expression.

Kensaku frowned. "So who gets to distract the security guards, just in case?"

"We'll do it," Nuru spoke up, and dragged Elina out the door with her. When they were outside the room, Nuru turned to Elina. "Two girls fighting against two very strong men doesn't sound likely. We need to trick them."

Elina winked. "Of course." She trained her expression to one of urgency and dashed around the corner to the security guards. "Officer, there's a fight in the cafeteria! People are throwing food everywhere, and we just barely got away! You'd better go see!" She flashed the men a hopeful look, widening her eyes innocently. Nuru joined Elina and swallowed a laugh, shooting the guards her own pleading look.

The taller guard shrugged. "Alright. Nothing's going on up here anyway." With that, the two guards set off for the downstairs area, apparently taken in by the ruse.

Elina winked and motioned to show that the coast was clear.

"Let's go!" Usagi whispered loudly. Asami stepped into the wheelchair, and Usagi began to push it down the hall with Kensaku in tow.

The nurse at the station - Nurse Miyoshi, judging from the name tag - glanced up as the group approached and frowned in disapproval.

"There's no authorization to bring that patient anywhere!" she barked shrilly. "Where is she going? And who are you?"

Usagi tittered nervously. "Uh... X-rays! X-rays are always good! I'm Dr. Tsukino; nice to meet you. We really should be going now!"

"There's no such doctor here! SECURITY! SECURITY!" Nurse Miyoshi screamed, pressing the red button on her desk.

"What a minute; you mean you've never heard of..." Usagi began indignantly before Kensaku tapped her to remind her of the time limit. "Problem!" Usagi amended, speeding up.

Asami glanced backward at Nurse Miyoshi and shook her head. That woman needed some relaxation tapes. Asami raised an eyebrow. She could at least do something... She sent thoughts of relaxing, hypnotic music to Nurse Miyoshi's mind and had the satisfaction of seeing the woman fall to the ground in a deep sleep.

_You don't need security..._ she sent. _The patient is headed downstairs for x-rays. Whatever were you thinking?_

She watched Nurse Miyoshi reawaken and stumble to her feet as if drunk. The nurse staggered to meet the security guards to tell them that this had just been one of her "episodes..."

Elina and Nuru helped the others pile into the elevator before pressing the button for the first floor. The doors slid open once the elevator had reached the lobby, and the group emerged, hurrying out of the hospital.

"Do you do this often?" Nuru asked sharply.

"You'd be surprised," Asami smiled while the group walked. "But I think that this time around, we've never done this particular thing before, believe it or not." She cocked her head. "So what now?"

"There's something I need to ask," Nuru volunteered. "I only remember enough about my past to remember that I was wrong to feel how I felt before the fight today. You told me my memories would come back, but I still don't remember enough. Does anyone else remember it?"

Asami looked away from Nuru momentarily, thinking. She remembered Nuru's past all too well, but wasn't sure the girl really wanted to know. She exchanged a serious glance with both Elina and Kensaku, knowing that Usagi was the only one who didn't know what Nuru had been through.

"I can help you to remember, Nuru, if you really want to know," Asami told the younger girl gently. "But you might not like it afterward."

Nuru shrugged. "That doesn't matter. I remember being beaten and I don't know why. Just do it. I have to know."

Asami sighed. "We will be here for you... just remember that. Here, take a seat." She let Nuru sit on a nearby bench and placed a hand on the younger girl's forehead, closing her eyes. In Nuru's mind, she opened up the barriers blocking Nuru's memory. Pulling away, she watched the girl carefully and gently, trying to read Nuru's expression.

"There, it's done."

* * *

_Many thanks to both Andromeda and Pisces yet again._


	9. Things Best Forgotten

**_Among Friends, Part 9  
Things Best Forgotten_**  
By Taerir  


* * *

All Sailor Moon references are the property of their respective owners. Any concepts, characters, world names, plotlines, and so on not found in the Sailormoon television series or manga are the property of the author, Taerir, copyright 1999. No duplication is permitted without written permission from the author. 

* * *

Nuru reeled dizzily from the shock for several very long moments, until finally she blinked and regained her composure. Staring at Asami's receding face, Nuru remembered the first time she'd met the girl, an entire life ago. The memories of how that meeting came to be made her shudder violently. Suddenly, she remembered being a slave, and the beatings, and how her owner had called her less-than-human. Now that she knew, though, she wished she'd never remembered.

* * *

_A petite, dark-haired girl crept quietly along the paths outside the palace on the moon, her eyes suspicious of all around her. Dropped in strange surroundings, the girl wondered if they'd know her as a slave and have her beaten, for all that no one here would know her._

A flare of anger rose up inside her to drown out the fear she'd known. Let them beat her if they wanted. If they tried it, she would simply get her revenge later.

"Do you need some help?"

Nuru glanced up quickly, not used to being taken by surprise. Her senses were usually sharper than that. A red-haired girl stood on the path before Nuru. By the girl's clothing, as strange as the gown was, Nuru marked the girl as someone wealthy.

Nuru bowed her head, determined, at least for now, not to get beaten. Silently, she thanked her luck that she'd stolen a few moments to learn to read and find language texts forbidden to slaves on Isis. "I would be grateful if you would tell me which way I may go to find the palace. I was sent to find help there."

There was a smile in the other girl's voice, although Nuru did not glance up to look at the girl's face. "I can bring you there." The two began to walk, Nuru following safely behind the other girl.

"You don't need to look down," the girl was saying. "We're all equals here."

Nuru glanced at her own ragged clothing and shook her head coldly. "A slave cannot be equal to a property holder." Inwardly, she cringed, expecting the beating she had earlier been trying to avoid.

Instead, though, the older girl's voice turned serious. "There are no slaves here. You don't have to worry about that."

No slaves? Nuru pondered that for a moment. Was such a thing possible? Maybe this girl was simply insane.

Outwardly, she shrugged. "Alright, my lady. But where I come from, we do have slaves. Remember that."

There was a long pause as the pair continued to walk in silence. Finally, the palace came into view and the red-haired girl spoke again, after calling for someone to help.

"We're here," she said gently. "Someone will help you get cleaned up, and then you can speak with Queen Serenity. My name is Rhanwyn, if you need anything." Seeing Nuru's eyes widen, Rhanwyn smiled. "The queen doesn't bite. I'm sure she'll help you."

"Don't be so sure. I'll bet you've gotten everything you wanted in life," Nuru muttered darkly once the girl was out of hearing range. "Things aren't so easy for a slave."

* * *

Nuru shook herself from her flashback and looked around. Usagi was staring wide-eyed, and the others looked equally concerned.

"Kazeno-san?" the blonde girl finally asked, recovering her speech. "Are you alright?"

Nuru shrugged. "I'm fine. It's no big deal."

A smile spread over Usagi's face. "That's good. If you weren't okay, I'd have to help you out, and you're not the kind of person who likes that, are you?" The girl sweatdropped, staring down the street for a few moments. Suddenly, her face lit up again. "Mamo-chan! Over here!"

Nuru, having heard of Mamoru from Elina, shook her head. That girl just would not survive without her precious boyfriend. Usagi must have survived separation for a while, or so Elina had said, but Nuru could just not imagine that.

By the time the thought had finished, Usagi had sprinted ahead, tackled Mamoru, and dragged him toward the group.

"You've met Asami and Kensaku," Usagi was babbling. "I introduced Elina to you too, right? I forget."

Elina grinned and waved brightly, and Kensaku raised an amused eyebrow in Mamoru's direction.

Mamoru smiled vaguely, bewildered. "Yes, Usako."

"Well, that just leaves Kazeno Nuru," Usagi continued. "Kazeno-san, this is my Mamo-chan. There, everyone's met everyone else now."

"Nice to meet you," Mamoru commented. 

Nuru shrugged again in reply. "Same here."

"We should go somewhere more private," Kensaku suggested. "Anyone could be listening."

"We'll use my apartment," Asami decided. "Usagi can report to the others what we talk about."

"Hai!" Usagi said brightly. Elina shot her a concernedly doubtful look.

Usagi glared. "Don't look at me that way! I can remember things when I want to!"

Elina laughed. "Whatever you say, Usagi-chan."

"What?" Usagi shot back. "It's true."

As the group walked down the sidewalk, Usagi continued her monologue on the extreme validity of her abilities.

* * *

Hours later, the group had discussed everything and decided nothing. Without knowing their true enemy or that enemy's purpose, there was very little they could do.

Elina and Nuru each headed to their respective homes, but Mamoru pulled Usagi aside once they, too, had emerged from the apartment building.

"I want to go look around for a while," Mamoru told her. "The enemy seems to be stalking the senshi. Maybe they're still around somewhere, watching us."

"I'll go too!" Usagi offered. "Spy missions are fun!"

Mamoru shook his head. "No, Usako. Two people are more obvious than one."

Usagi pouted. "But one person alone is in more danger."

"I'll be careful," Mamoru promised. "Go home, Usako. Stay safe for me." He kissed her gently on the cheek.

Usagi blushed, swooned, and recovered to find Mamoru already gone.

"How rude," she muttered, still pouting, but headed home anyway.

* * *

Nami watched as Mamoru left Usagi standing, smiling at the young man's stupidity as he walked down a mostly-deserted stretch of sidewalk on a shortcut home.

"How sweet," she sneered. "How long will it be until you betray her, though? Not long, I'm guessing."

But then, Nami knew something that Mamoru did not. Silently, she shadowed him for a while, until he was out of Usagi's sight and hearing distance. Calling a wooden staff to her hand, she smoothly slipped behind him and hit him soundly on the back of the head.

With Mamoru suitably unconscious, Nami transported the both of them to her lair. She neatly tied her captive to a chair, seated herself across the room, and waited for him to awaken.

* * *

_Thanks go to Pisces._


	10. Stolen Allies

**_Among Friends, Part 10  
Stolen Allies_**  
By Taerir  


* * *

All Sailor Moon references are the property of their respective owners. Any concepts, characters, world names, plotlines, and so on not found in the Sailormoon television series or manga are the property of the author, Taerir, copyright 1999. No duplication is permitted without written permission from the author. 

* * *

When Mamoru regained consciousness, he kept his eyes closed for a few moments to give himself time. He remembered leaving Usagi to walk home while he searched for… something. After a few moments of strained, groggy thought, he remembered. It seemed as if the enemy he had been searching for had found him instead.

Finally, he opened his eyes.

The woman seated before him would have looked innocent enough, if she hadn't taken such a regal air. With violet-black hair framing her face and dark blue eyes, the woman certainly was beautiful, but there was something subtly profaned about that beauty. While the normal human might not have caught such a thing, the radiated energy caused Mamoru to inwardly shudder, although he showed nothing on the outside.

The woman smirked. "So the sleeping idiot awakens. Your senses weren't very sharp last night, Tuxedo Kamen. Does your head hurt?"

Mamoru ignored the question and hardened his expression. "Who are you, and what do you want?"

"My name is Nami," the woman replied. Batting her eyes, she continued. "And I want what any girl wants: a little respect, a bit of revenge, and more power than I have right now. That little girl you spend your time protecting has more power than she could ever know how to use, and so do all her little friends."

Mamoru began to speak, but Nami held up her hand to keep him quiet. Uncertain why he was even obeying her, he let her speak further.

Nami crossed her arms and continued. "But there is even more power than that to be harnessed. You've heard of the Gates, I presume?" She pursed her lips and awaited Mamoru's nod. "I thought as much. More than half of them are unprotected at the moment, without their Guardians awakened. With the power from those Gates, I can overturn the awakened Guardians as well, and then destroy your precious love and her pretty little crystal."

"You'll never get away with it. It's not as simple as you make it sound," Mamoru insisted. "How do you have all this information about us, anyway?"

"You broadcast it as if you were an open book," Nami sneered. "Even with such power, most of you have such weak minds."

The insult finally spurred Mamoru to anger, and he glared at this woman. "So what do you plan to do with us and our 'weak minds?'"

"One thing at a time, my dear," Nami laughed, rising from her seat. "First, I'll convince you to join me. How long do you think that blonde of yours will hold up without you by her side?"

"She's done it before, and made it through fine," Mamoru informed her coldly. "I'd never join your side willingly, and the brainwashing scheme has been tried on me before. Don't you think it's a bit unoriginal?"

"Not if it works."

"Brainwashing me has never caused a final victory before."

Nami strolled forward until she was directly in front of Mamoru, and leaned over so that her face was directly in front of Mamoru's own. Her voice was low and taunting. "The others who tried it were not me, now were they?"

Until this point, Mamoru had not been aware of Nami's pent-up fury. It now seemed to flow against him like a physical being. Nami breathed out a small, cold laugh and smirked.

"Are you uncomfortable, my dear?" she questioned, feigning concern. "Well, we can repair that easily enough. You do look so terribly frightened."

His voice trembling, Mamoru fought to control it. For the first time since awakening, he truly wondered what this woman could do. "I would kill myself before I hurt the senshi."

"No, you wouldn't," Nami murmured, her voice deceivingly calm. "Once I'm finished with you, you will beg me for the chance to destroy them. No more games."

An ice-blue flash emanated from her eyes, and in one swift movement, her hands were at Mamoru's temples. At the first light touch on his mind, Mamoru struggled mentally. Nami's mind, though, seemed something between a brick wall and a tidal wave, and Mamoru felt his will being carelessly pushed away.

_You fool,_ came Nami's voice in his mind. That was the last he remembered.

Nami smiled as she ruthlessly blocked away Mamoru's memories of goodness and light. This was the part of her mission she truly loved. It gave her utmost power over the mind of another, to shape as she saw fit. For all his talk, the young man had been completely helpless in the end.

Almost finished turning Mamoru's mind, Nami added some finishing touches of her own. _We might as well make things interesting._

Satisfied that her mind control was fully in place, Nami moved her hands away and stepped back to admire her handiwork. Mamoru's eyes opened slowly, still their usual blue but now holding a look that was somehow more vacant.

He groaned, glancing around for a moment until his eyes rested upon Nami. "I feel like I've been hit by a truck."

"You've taken a nasty bump to the head," Nami informed him, smiling at him. "I told you not to defend me, of course, but you insisted. Just a moment and I'll finish fixing it, now that you're awake."

With a quick gesture, Nami laid a hand on Mamoru's head and drew out the remaining pain. Mamoru released a sigh of relief and rose from his chair.

"You always know how to make things better, my love."

* * *

Usagi drummed her fingers on a restaurant table impatiently the next evening. She had made plans with Mamoru over a week ago to meet for dinner tonight. This time, she hadn't even been late, and had been rather proud of that accomplishment. But now, it was forty-five minutes late and there was absolutely no sign of Mamoru. Usagi's stomach growled in protest.

She rose from her seat, dug a few coins from her purse, and headed for the nearest pay phone. Pointedly, she tried Mamoru's phone number first. There was no reply. With a huff, she called Rei instead. Usagi did not spare a single moment after Rei's phone greeting.

"Rei, have you seen Mamo-chan?" she demanded. "He's late for dinner."

"Why would I have seen him?" Rei snapped back. "Can't you keep track of your own beloved 'Mamo-chan?'"

Usagi sighed. "I called his place, and he wasn't there."

"Well, he's not here either, Usagi," the other girl proclaimed. "Try somewhere else."

The two hung up, as Usagi continued to mutter to herself.

"No, I am not going to march to the shrine and tell Rei off," she told herself firmly. "I am going to find out where Mamo-chan is, and then I am going to drag him here for a romantic dinner." Brightening at the thought, Usagi dialed the numbers of everyone else she knew until she ran out of her already-meager supply of pocket change. No one, it seemed, had seen Mamoru.

It wasn't like him to forget her like this. In fact, it was strange that no one had seen him at all that day. Usagi might have been indignant if she wasn't so worried. Sighing, she gathered her things and left the restaurant.

A quick visit to Mamoru's apartment revealed that he was indeed absent.

Amid the panicked thoughts in Usagi's head, one statement summarized them all: _Something wasn't right._


	11. Found Yet Lost

**_Among Friends, Part 11  
Found Yet Lost_**  
By Taerir  


* * *

AN: This is the last part of this fanfic I wrote, so there probably won't be more, as I decided not to continue it.  
  
All Sailor Moon references are the property of their respective owners. Any concepts, characters, world names, plotlines, and so on not found in the Sailormoon television series or manga are the property of the author, Taerir, copyright 1999. No duplication is permitted without written permission from the author. 

* * *

"Mamoru, my dear!" Nami called, aiming her voice toward the ornate doors separating her lair from the various personal chambers on the other side. She examined her fingernails, newly polished black. "I have a mission for you, if you'd be so kind."

"Anything, my love," Mamoru responded, bowing as he entered. "What is it you wish me to do?"

Nami smiled coldly. "I'd like you to figure out how to destroy the senshi. Concentrate on the senshi of the Gates, first. The others mean little to me."

Mamoru's face reflected the eager, malicious intent in Nami's own eyes. "Then destroy them I will. Would you like to be there to watch their demise?"

Nami laughed and brushed her lips against his.

"It's kind of you to ask," she said, smiling. "But I will be watching all you do, from a distance. You need not worry about me. Besides, it will take you time to observe them and develop a strategy, don't you think?"

"I would have thought you'd want them gone as soon as possible, my lady."

Nami narrowed her eyes, thinking. "I do. But there are unawakened Gate senshi in addition to the three active ones. I would rather that the unawakened ones remain that way."

Mamoru smiled again in understanding. "I shall do as you say, then." Using the abilities Nami had granted him, he teleported out of Nami's lair.

* * *

The day after Mamoru's missed dinner with Usagi, yet another afternoon had arrived, and Nuru was once again undergoing what she liked to call "the walk of doom" to the museum. She could have been early if she'd walked more quickly, but today she didn't care. There was no point in being on time to a place she hated anyway.

Besides, there were more important things to think about. By now, Usagi had spread news to everyone she even remotely knew, informing them that anyone who found Mamoru was to send him reporting directly to her. But Nuru was certain that everyone knew Usagi was simply trying to distract herself from the fact that something was seriously wrong. People didn't just suddenly disappear for days at a time.

To Nuru's surprise when she looked up once again, though, her eyes immediately rested on a young man who looked exactly like Mamoru. Unlike the others passing by, he was in heavy armor complete with a dark cape.

It _had_ to be Mamoru. Unfortunately, it seemed as if the poor boy was not in his right mind.

_I guess I won't be going to the museum today,_ Nuru thought. _Dr. Miyori will just have to deal with it._

Making sure not to stare too closely at Mamoru, Nuru slipped to a nearby pay phone. Since she wasn't sure exactly who to call, she first reached Asami to get Usagi's phone number. Nuru extended a call to a very confused Usagi, and then tried Elina's number. The girl wasn't at home, so Nuru shrugged and hung up.

By this time, Nuru was sure that Mamoru had noticed her. Very deliberately, she began walking down the street once again. Mamoru followed, as Nuru had expected.

She nearly let out a yelp as a hand grabbed her and pulled her into an alley. Sailormoon, Taerir Guardian, and Arianrhod Knight stood before her. Nuru glared at Asami, who had pulled her in.

"Warnings are always good, you know," Nuru snapped. "If he didn't know something was up before, he sure does now."

"I didn't want to risk our enemy overhearing mindspeech," Taerir explained. "Whoever it is, they're more important than Mamoru." Glancing around her, the Guardian continued. "Usagi's friends are hiding nearby, ready to transform. Make sure Mamoru sees you run away, and transform and come back if you want. He at least won't know for certain that you're a senshi, that way."

Nuru nodded and left the alley.

* * *

Mamoru watched the girl he'd been following run away and chuckled. He'd known she was somehow connected to his mission when she'd kept glancing at him. When she'd been pulled into the alley, he'd known for certain.

_Are your friends in that alley as stupid as you?_ he wondered silently, smiling coldly. It was just too bad that all the other people on the street had begun to instinctively steer away from him. _Ah well; there will always be time to kill civilians later._

"Everyone back there can come out now," Mamoru called aloud. "You've made it fairly obvious that you're there, don't you think? It will be best for us all if I just kill you now."

At the suggestion, three people emerged and Mamoru grinned. This would be interesting. One of the three was a young man, dressed in armor similar to Mamoru's own, aside from the color. A second figure, a red-haired girl, resembled what Nami had described as a Guardian. Mamoru guessed that the young man was connected to her, since they both wore the same colors. That would make them the Guardian of Taerir and her Knight, if Nami's information was correct.

The third figure was another girl, a blonde this time, with the most ridiculous hairstyle Mamoru had ever seen. This girl donned a sailor fuku and looked, for some reason, very hesitant to fight. Figuring she must be a weakling, Mamoru instantly categorized her as unimportant.

"So do you all generally fight, or are you just going to stand there?" he questioned, crossing his arms.

"Why are you doing this, Mamoru?" the redhead demanded. "We're your friends, so who has you under their control?"

Mamoru shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't seen any of you before in my life. So unless you'd all like to give up your power over the Gates without resistance, I have nothing to say to you." Without another word, he charged forward to attack Taerir Guardian. She met him blow-by-blow, surprisingly enough. He hadn't expected a female to fight well enough to hold him off. Soon enough, though, their swords had crossed, and neither opponent could overcome the other.

Arianrhod Knight was coming forward to aid his partner, and Mamoru narrowed his eyes. He would just have to take them _both_ on at once.

"Isis Wind Storm!"

The forces of wind took Mamoru by surprise, pushing him off-balance. As he ran to put space between himself and all of his opponents, he glared in the direction of the attack. A new senshi had arrived, this time dressed in a green and blue sailor fuku.

"You little brat," Mamoru snarled, and turned on her instead. Despite the rebellious glare in the black-haired senshi's eyes, the girl backed away slightly. Mamoru grinned and advanced.

"Mamo-chan, stop!" came the yell from the blonde senshi he had ignored.

Shrugging off his current senshi, Mamoru took four swift steps toward the blonde. Grabbing the girl's arm, he looked her in the eye.

"I don't need you," he told her coldly. "You're obviously not one of them." He observed the moon resting on the girl's forehead. "Eternal or not, Sailor Moon is not a Gate Senshi."

With that, he roughly threw Sailor Moon to the ground. When he turned, he found that four more senshi had joined the fight and stood glaring at him in disgust.

"I don't care who you are," Sailor Jupiter announced. "Hurt our friend, and we'll all hurt you worse."

Mamoru rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'm not afraid of you, but this place is beginning to get a little crowded." He swept his gaze across the group, making eye contact with each senshi, Guardian, and Knight. "I'll be back. And when I return, I won't be so easy on you." Still fuming, he disappeared.

"Not again…" Sailor Moon whispered, once the one she loved had gone. Tears glistened in her eyes, and she was obviously struggling not to erupt into tears. Her friends exchanged worried glances, unused to seeing Usagi in a state where she worked to control herself.

The inner senshi moved to stand beside their friend. Each of them half-feared that the girl's hysterics would manifest at any moment, but those tears never came. Taerir knew that the girl must have been in shock as well.

"I'm… going home," Sailor Moon announced abruptly. She turned and left, returning to civilian form as she walked.

"I think someone should go with her," Sailor Venus said quietly.

Taerir nodded. "You're her best friends. She's probably more likely to accept seeing you. The rest of us will be fine."

Without further encouragement, the four inner senshi left after promising to meet later. The Gate Senshi went their separate ways as well, all too tired and confused to talk.

* * *

When Mamoru returned to Nami's lair, he found his mistress lounging in her seat. She had obviously expected his return, judging by the complete lack of surprise in her expression even as she raised her eyebrows.

"So, my devoted warrior has returned," she purred. "What have you discovered for me?"

Mamoru thought for a moment. "They seem to enjoy inviting their friends along. I only counted three warriors related to the Gates there, and about five who were not. But the senshi of the Ilia Gate was not present." He frowned. "Several of them knew my name, but I'm sure I've never seen any of them in person before. And there was one non-Gate senshi, Sailor Moon, who seemed excessively unhappy. She kept staring at me, as if I were someone else."

"Never mind her," Nami told him, her tone authoritative. "Go on with the report. What did you think of them?"

"I don't see that there will be much of a problem destroying some of them, if I can get them alone," he continued, leaning back. "They all seemed very hesitant to hurt me. I expected them to be... stronger and more fierce, somehow." He grimaced. "But there were too many of them, so I decided that this time, it was best to leave.

Nami nodded, smiling. "That was a wise decision, my dear. I'm sure you'll have better luck next time." She stretched and smiled, the expression vaguely suggestive. "But you've earned your rest. Why don't you get out of that armor?"

"I think I will," Mamoru agreed. He rose and took Nami's hand, lifting it to his lips. "But not in front of a lady."

Nami feigned a dramatic sigh, and Mamoru laughed.

"Goodnight, my love," he told her, kissing her hand one more time. He took his leave of Nami and disappeared into his chambers once again.


End file.
